Turkey set to open Habur border crossing with Iraq

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) ISTANBUL Jan 3 (KUNA) -- Turkish Customs and Trade Minister Bulent Tufenkci has announced that his country will open Habur crossing in Sirnak bordering Iraq on Monday (tomorrow) after it had been closed due to security concerns.In a statement to reporters on Sunday after meeting with officials of Sirnak Tufenkci said there are ongoing security operations to combat terrorism in the city.He added about 500 vehicles will cross into Iraq and 750 others will get into Turkey through the crossing in the first phase stressing the economic importance of this gate of the two sides.He noted that a large part of Turkish exports crossed via this gate in 2015.A diplomatic crisis erupted between Turkey and Iraq when the former dispatched 150 soldiers and some tanks to an area near Mosul to replace a Turkish unit which has been centered there since 30 months. (end) ta.hm